Child Marriage Alert in Rajasthan: Udaipur Sets Up Control Room & Three-Tier Teams to Stop Child Weddings

Udaipur- With Akshaya Tritiya falling on April 19, and Peepal Purnima on May 1, the Udaipur district administration has launched a comprehensive crackdown on child marriages, a practice that persists in rural belts and tribal-dominated areas of Rajasthan during these traditionally auspicious occasions.

Child marriages remain a significant issue in Rajasthan, particularly in rural and tribal regions. According to the National Family Health Survey-5 (2019-21), 25.4 per cent of women aged 20-24 years in the state were married before the age of 18, with prevalence higher in rural areas (28.3 per cent) than urban areas (15.1 per cent).

Several districts, including those with substantial tribal populations such as Udaipur, have historically recorded elevated rates, and mass or group marriages often cluster around festivals like Akshaya Tritiya (also known as Akha Teej) and Peepal Purnima.

District Collector and District Magistrate Gaurav Agarwal has issued stringent orders directing officials to enforce the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, with strict action against violators. The administration has formed three-tier committees for ground-level monitoring and established a dedicated control room for swift information flow.

Three-tier committees for monitoring:

At the gram level: Village Development Officer, Patwari, Beat Constable, and ASHA workers.

At the tehsil level: Tehsildar, Development Officer, and Station House Officer.

Vigilance teams comprising Sub-Divisional Officer, Deputy Superintendent of Police, and officers from the Women and Child Development Department will oversee operations.

Special focus has been placed on individuals and service providers who facilitate weddings. Printing press operators have been instructed to obtain proof of the bride and groom’s age before printing invitation cards or include their dates of birth on the cards. Halwais (caterers), tent house owners, priests (pandits), band and orchestra operators, and transporters have been directed to provide written assurances that they will not assist in any child marriages. Awareness materials will be displayed at Atal Seva Kendras, schools, and Anganwadi centres.

In suspected cases, officials will first counsel families. If persuasion fails, legal action will follow under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006. Any information about impending child marriages must be immediately acted upon by the concerned Sub-Divisional Officer, designated as the Child Marriage Prohibition Officer.

24x7 Control Room operational

A control room has been set up at the Collectorate office, operational round-the-clock from April 13 to May 15, 2026. The public can report suspected child marriages on the helpline number 0294-2414620.

The district administration has appealed to citizens to cooperate in eradicating this social evil and safeguarding children’s futures. “Child marriage is a serious violation of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006,” the District Magistrate stated, emphasising that police and administrative teams have been directed to take immediate legal action upon receiving credible information.

Similar preventive drives have been conducted in previous years across Rajasthan, including Udaipur, with administrations routinely mobilising stakeholders ahead of these festivals to curb the practice in rural and tribal pockets.

The measures aim to ensure strict compliance with the law and protect minors in line with ongoing state and national efforts against child marriage.